Ecotality, ChargePoint to Link Electric Car Charging Networks

Ecotality Inc. (ECTY) and ChargePoint Inc., providers of electric car charging stations, will form a venture to share customers and allow billing across their networks.

The venture will give drivers access to about 15,000 locations, or about 90 percent of public chargers in the U.S., according to Ecotality Chief Executive Officer Ravi Brar.

“It increases the number of chargers available to someone without them having to go around joining multiple networks,” Brar said yesterday by telephone. Ecotality has about 4,000 charging ports, while ChargePoint has about 11,000, he said.

Collaboratev LLC, the venture that Ecotality and ChargePoint are investing in, will interconnect the monitoring and billing systems of both companies through a new platform that other car-charging providers will also be able to join, according to an emailed statement.